1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of prospecting for uranium or other radioactive material, and more particularly to a prospecting method utilizing the thermoluminescence phenomenon.
Thermoluminescence is the release of light from a crystalline material as it is heated. The light is proportional to the previous nuclear radiation dosage the material has received. Once the thermoluminescence light is produced, the previous radiation history of the material is erased, as the thermocycling performs a destructive readout of the sample's past history.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An article entitled "Thermoluminescence: Theory and Applications", by Donald E. Lancaster appears in the March, 1969 issue of Electronics World. This article describes the thermoluminescence phenomenon in detail, including a listing of various materials which exhibit thermoluminescence. The thermoluminescence phenomenon has been utilized in geophysical exploration. U.S. Pat. No. 2,775,710 describes a method of geophysical exploration in which thermoluminescence bodies or dosimeters are placed in a pattern over a geological formation and allowed to accumulate natural radiation. The dosimeters are then analyzed to determine the extent of radiation activity at each location. U.S. Pat. No. 2,899,558 describes a method of geophysical exploration in which formation samples are heated to produce thermoluminescence which exposes a light-sensitive medium. The exposed light-sensitive medium is then analyzed to characterize the formation.